If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Injured Steelers linebacker Sean Spence heads into practice Wednesday fully confident in his ability to make it all the way back from a gruesome injury that took away his 2012 season.

Steelers linebacker Sean Spence probably has every cliche memorized by now. Facing insurmountable odds with his back against the wall, all hope seemingly lost, he's standing toe-to-toe with his adversary, not turning away, ready to take on what's next.
And so on.

That's what gives Spence's story such a warm buzz. In many ways, he can say the hard part is over. Spence's focus is going to be more on regaining his football legs rather than his surgically-repaired knee.

The team confirmed Spence will practice Wednesday for the first official time since tearing his ACL in a preaseason game against the Carolina Panthers in 2012. he has a three-week window that opens Wednesday and remains opened for three weeks before the Steelers are forced to make a decision on him. He can be added to the roster any time in that window.

Add that to the list of things Spence shouldn't worry about, he'll be added to the roster, and the Steelers will make a move to accomodate that. It's perhaps a bit premature to think he'll dress up against the Ravens in Week 7, but Week 8 at Oakland isn't out of the question.

What a return it will be. However it goes, though, Spence seems already past that part, and onto worrying about how he can contribute to the team.

The doc isn't going to clear an unstable knee. He will play when he is physically ready. Especially in light of how Williams played, I don't see rushing essentially a rookie back into action. That doesn't help anyone.

Does anybody think when he comes back that he will be the player he was before the injury? What worries me the most is his greatest attribute was his quickness and I just don't see that coming back with the horrible injury he suffered to his knee.

I'm interested to see his situational intelligence. He's been watching this D and learning in the meetings for over a year now, but hasn't been able to actually play. Some guys seem to do very well with "mental reps." How quickly can he catch on?

I'm also interested to see if he may be a bit stronger than before. My understanding was that one of the "issues" around him in the past was that he wasn't particularly strong for an ILB. He's now had over a year in an NFL weight room, so I wonder if that changes things.